1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for cooling concrete. Particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for injecting a cryogenic liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
In concrete preparation it is often necessary to cool the concrete mix. The structural integrity of concrete is dependent on the temperature at which the concrete is set. In general, the cooler the concrete when poured, the stronger it will be once set. If poured at high temperatures, set concrete will often not meet minimum strength requirements. This is especially true in warm weather climates (e.g., pours done in the summer).
Traditionally, this problem was overcome by cooling the water used in mixing the concrete or by adding ice as a partial replacement for the water. The water was cooled using a refrigeration unit, ice, or a cryogenic liquid which was mixed with the water before mixing the concrete. These methods are costly, time consuming and labor intensive. The extensive equipment and labor required for conventional approaches pose various safety concerns such as back injuries from lifting ice, loss of limbs from operating ice crushers, etc. Further, the use of ice can have a negative impact on the concretes characteristics, such as the slump measurement.
Another approach is to inject a cryogenic liquid directly into a concrete mixer drum of a truck while it is being mixed in a conventional rotating mixer. However, the injection processes used previously were cumbersome and expensive. Prior injection systems were stationary injectors, which required time-consuming structural adjustments in order meet the requirements of different size mixers. Further, the current injection systems are designed in a manner that increases the potential damage to the truck mixer drum.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient and economically feasible apparatus and method for cooling concrete. There is a further need for an apparatus that is adjustable in order to quickly meet the requirements of the mixing chamber. There is a further need for a method and apparatus for operating the cooling system remotely.